Communications agency Fishburn has released a briefing on the importance of select committees to businesses. The guide, which can be found in full on the Fishburn website, considers the influence and rise of select committees and their personnel, and provides an insight into this new and emerging policy landscape.
The briefing concludes by warning organisations of the reputational risk posed by select committees considering their increased power, and stresses the necessity for intensive preparation for hearings and a complete understanding of the role that select committees now play.
Rory Scanlan, Fishburn’s Managing Director, Public Affairs, said: “Organisations should no longer be in any doubt about the reputational risk posed by select committees, given that they hold considerable power to shape and frame issues, challenge leaders and influence organisational strategy.
"But their evolving role and increased profile means they’re also beginning to have a much greater influence on policy, which presents opportunities – more than one third of recommendations become Government policy. With select committee power only likely to increase, Fishburn has published new research as part of a guide which considers their influence, rise and impact.”
You can find a full copy of the briefing on the Fishburn website. Read the introduction below:
Introduction: Why do select committees matter to business?
Select committees are more influential than ever and their potential impact upon business has substantially increased. This growing influence can represent a real risk to businesses and other organisations facing scrutiny from parliament. Reputational risk comes from a poor performance at a committee hearing, criticism in a report or by a committee chair. Indifference to select committees seldom goes unpunished. But the rise of select committees also brings opportunities to business – more than one third of recommendations become Government policy and canny businesses should recognise committees as an important route in the policy-making process.
Long gone are the days of Party whips insisting on their choice of chair, or reports being roundly ignored by Government or the media. They’ve found their voice over the course of recent parliaments, with an increasing number of their recommendations adopted by Government and media interest in their deliberations rocketing.